One killed as another MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan

A MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on Wednesday morning shortly after take-off from Uttarlai Air Base in Rajasthan killing the pilot.

IAF sources said Flight Lt AS Jamwal was killed after the aircraft caught fire soon after take-off and plunged into a nearby field in Barmer. Further details are awaited.

An IAF spokesman said the MiG-21 was carrying out a low-level flying maneouvre when the pilot apparently lost control and the fighter aircraft crashed near Sinadhari in Barmer district at about 0715 hrs IST.

There was no casualty on the ground as the fighter crashed in an uninhabited area.

The aircraft was of type 75 variant which are one of the earliest MiG-21 to be inducted into the IAF and are in the process of being phased out, the spokesman said.

The debris of the plane were lying scattered over one and half kilometre area near Dabli village under Sinadhari police station, police said in Jaipur.